Smoke Signals
Mune 1,1995
Page 3
Contractors sought
The Public Works Department
is compiling a list of licensed con
tractors interested in being consid
ered for future projects put out to
bid by the Tribe. Needed are bid
ders who can cover any or all parts
of construction and maintenance
for the Tribal facilities and
grounds.
If interested in filling out a
Contractor's Pre-qualifying Ques-.
tionnaire, please contact Nancy
Holmes, 879-2401.
HIP repair bids
Housing staff is currently moni
toring repair work on several tribal
member homes that are being re
habilitated through the BIA's
Home Improvement Program
(HIP), and bids will be solicited
for several more jobs within the
month. These jobs were funded
with 1 994 BI A funds. Applicants
for 1995 funding will be consid
ered in June or July.
Three Down Payment
Assist grants awarded
Three lucky tribal households
have been awarded $5,000 Down
Payment Assistance grants for
1995.
Although the demand was
great, funding was very limited
this year and it was difficult to
have to restrict the awards to only
three applicants. We wish the
three recipients success towards
finding and buying a new home!
We are hopeful that there may
be some limited additional fund
ing later in the year and that we
will be able to award several more
grants at that time.
Housing bid awarded to
build handicap ramps
Handicap ramps have been re
cently built for several tribal el
ders through the tribal emergency
repair program. Bids were
awarded in May for the construc
tion of ramps at two elders homes.
Tribal members were referrals
from the Tribal Health Depart
ment. The Tribal Housing Pro
gram will pay for these projects.
Five bids were submitted. The
bid applicants were: Honey Dew
Construction - $2,650; Eagle
Feather Construction - $3,144;
Ray Moles Construction - $3,600;
Don Day - $4,200; K. Schmid
Construction - $4,545.56.
The job were awarded to Honey
Dew Construction.
Health Assessment Survey project
Continuing through June, the Grand Ronde Tribal Human Service
Division will be conducting a Health Assessment Survey with technical
assistance from the Center for Disease Control and the Indian Health
Service Division of Research, Evaluation and Epidemiology. This sur
vey will give a snapshot picture of how healthy we are, and how far
we've come.
We'll be contacting approximately 600 tribal members, 18 years of
age or older to participate. Survey workers will have letters identifying
themselves as part of the project. Participants will be randomly selected
by the Center for Disease Control. Those who participate will be en
tered in a $50 drawing (one $50 cash prize for male entries, and one
$50 cash prize for female entries).
If you are randomly selected, please take the time to answer the ques
tions and enter the drawing. We want to hear from you. For more
information, please contact Bonnie Tom at 1 -800-775-0095 or 879-20 1 6.
V -
Happy 1st Birthday, Pea-Pea
(Christopher William)
Love Mom, Dad & Nicholas
To family and friends,
We would like to thank ev
eryone for the phone calls,
cards and visits while I was in
the hospital, and when I was
able to come home. I am at
home and doing good. We
would still enjoy hearing from
everyone. Thank you to all.
Love...Orville, Ramona Leno
and family
Elders' Spotlight
Mabel Gaston's hobbies keep her active
and sisters. They have all passed
away now, except for her sister,
Florence Freelove of Coos Bay.
Mabel married Ernest Gaston in
Warm Springs, and later moved
to Grand Ronde. Ernie worked as
a logger for many years until he
died in 1973.
Mabel and Ernest had two chil
dren: Richard Gaston of Spokane,
Wa., and Elaine Smith of Grand
Ronde.
Mabel keeps active doing the
hobbies she has enjoyed for years.
She likes to garden, bake, and fish
for trout in the Oregon rivers.
And of course, most people who
know her know she loves to play
Friday Night Bingo at the Com
munity Center.
She also enjoys outings and trips
with the other elders.
Mabel likes to attend tribal
meetings and keeps up with all the
news and developments in Grand
Ronde.
Mabel Gaston
The Elders' Spotlight is featur
ing Mabel Gason this month. She
was born on May 20, 1911 in
Grand Ronde to John and Dollie
Pichette. She had nine brothers
Foster families provide love and support to tribal kids
By Tracy Dugan
It has been said that one of the
hardest, but most rewarding jobs
in the world is being a parent. The
same holds true for foster parents.
Just ask Rick and Sharon Hutton.
The couple have been foster par
ents for nearly a year, and they
love it.
The Huttons currently have two
children living in their home. But
foster homes provide more than
just food and shelter to children.
They provide a safe, clean, struc
tured environment and loving sur
roundings. Sharon is a tribal member, and
she and Rick became foster par
ents through the Tribal Family
Action Program (TFAP). This de
partment places enrolled children
in foster care, but they are look
ing for more tribal families to be
come involved.
"I met another foster parent at
the tribal offices," said Sharon.
"She told me about a child who
needed a home, and I was inter-
U Act-, "
T
1 1 Xp JJ
Rick and Sharon Hutton prepare a family dinner at home.
ested. Before I knew it, we were
filling out the paperwork, had a
home visit, and were approved."
There is some paperwork in
volved in becoming a foster par
ent, as well as a criminal back
ground check and a visit to the
applicant's home. "The whole
process usually takes about a
month," said Carmen Mercier,
Foster Home Care Coordinator for
the Tribe. However, things could
be sped up if there is a child in a
crisis situation.
Sharon says that the most im
portant part of being a foster par
ent is providing love and stability
that may have been missing in a
child's life in the past.
"A lot of children need extra at
tention and love," she said. "I
enjoy providing that."
Sharon and Rick plan family
outings every week, and have din
ner at the table every night, with
out interruptions.
"One of our favorite outings is
going out for dinner on Friday
night. We usually head to Izzy's
for pizza," said Rick, who works
for Corvallis Auto and Wrecking
Sales.
Of course, the main goal of
this program is to provide a
stable home to tribal children
until they can be reunified with
'their parent(s).
To the Huttons, the choice to
become foster parents has
worked out great.
Families Matter
Consider Foster Parenting
TFAP works in partnership
with families and communi
ties to protect tribal children.
There are some children who
must be removed from their
own homes due to abuse or
neglect. These children need
foster families to help meet
their special needs.
Foster parents provide tem
porary care to children until
they can be reunited with
their birth families.
Call TFAP Today
1-800-775-0095
or 879-2034